Wildfire station brakes FAIL!

Magnum, unlike Gemini, does automatically park.  The op just continues to hold the dispatch button until the train comes in, stops, and the lapbars are released.  Once in a great while, the train doesn't come in far enough, so the bars aren't released automatically, so we just release them by pulling up on the lapbar button.  In this case, we have to prepare for a "bump up" - where on dispatch, the train re-parks and releases the lapbars.  We then have to lock them again and recheck - hopefully quick enough to avert a setup.  I think the "bump-up" happened less than five times all season.

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

That's why Adventuredome had us just send the train around. That way we didnt waste time rechecking. If that happened during one train op and no one was looking we usually just cleared the train and moved it up by pressing dispatch then releasing when it got to the right spot.

Playing with the breaks is fun, hehe.... I love that noise.

i know you have to push the dispatch button but do you have push it down until it is at the train is at the exact point or do you just have to push it once and it automatically stops? I know it is different for different coasters but on most modern ones how does this work. For example on means streak some one said that it stopped about 3 times on the way back. Is that controlled by the op or not?

I am pretty sure about it, but here is what I have observed from watching the operators last weekend.

I know that Wildfire's braking is computer controlled to about halfway inside the station. The operator must then press a button to move it through the station to it's correct spot. Once the correct spot is reached, the operator takes her finger off the button to halt the train. Then, they press 2 buttons, one to release the OTSRs and the other to open the exit gates.  Then, the entry gates are opened and closed with another button on the opposite side of the station by the back operator. Then, people get seated and locked in with the OTSRs. Then the exit gates close and the front car barrier opens and the train is dispatched with thumbs up by the front and back attendants. and the sequence is repeated..

Wow, I didn't know my post would cause such a spirited debate! :)

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MFRULES23 said:
i know you have to push the dispatch button but do you have push it down until it is at the train is at the exact point or do you just have to push it once and it automatically stops? I know it is different for different coasters but on most modern ones how does this work. For example on means streak some one said that it stopped about 3 times on the way back. Is that controlled by the op or not?

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On Magnum, you hold the dispatch button down constantly as the train rolls into the station.  You are to hold it down until the train parks automatically in the correct spot and the lapbars automatically release.  I usually held it until I saw the "Lap Bar Release" button flashing.  Some people just watched the train and released when they saw that people's bars were released.  The station brakes work by first applying low pressure to the brakes to slow the train a bit (like a trim brake) and then high pressure to stop it completely.
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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew